The Female Sex Organs
For easier and better understanding we shall consider the female sex organs in two groups, one consisting of the ovaries, the uterine tubes and the womb, and the other consisting of the vagina and the parts around it.

The two ovaries are the essential female reproductive organs as they produce ova (female reproductive cells). They are small roundish organs, and lie in the abdomen, below the kidneys. At birth, each ovary of a girl has in it about 70 000 unripe ova, but the ovaries do not start functioning until the girl reaches puberty. From then on, till about the age of 50 years, the ovaries release one ripe ovum after every 28 days. The release occurs alternately from the 2 ovaries, once from one ovary and the next time from the other one. Normally, when about 50 years old, the childbearing period of a woman comes to an end, and her ovaries stop producing ripe ova. This period, when the child-bearing duration of a woman ends, is known as the menopause. The release of a ripe ovum by the ovaries is known as ovulation, and it occurs about 13 days after menstruation (monthly bleeding). Each ovary is partially surrounded by the mouth of a tube known as the uterine tube (or the Fallopian tube). The ripe ovum produced by the ovary falls into the uterine tube, which then transports it to the uterus. The uterus is also known as the womb, and it is in it that a baby develops from a fertilized ovum. It is a bag-like muscular organ which can enlarge considerably. Its lower part narrows into a small gap called the neck of the uterus. The neck leads to a slightly wider tube known as the vagina.

The vagina, tube-like structure, is an inlet in the body of a woman designed to take the penis of a man, as a sword-sheath takes a sword. On an average, it is 12 centimetres long, but it can extend both sideways and lengthwise to accommodate penis of almost any size. The membranes which form the walls of the vagina are similar to those covering the head of the penis, and hence are sensitive to stimulation. During intercourse the penis is enclosed in the vagina, and friction against its walls provides the essential stimulation which ultimately produces the male orgasm. One function of the vagina, therefore, is to serve as the organ of stimulation for the penis. Another function is to receive sperms during intercourse, and pass them on to the uterus. Besides this, during childbirth the vagina serves as the passage through which the baby passes from the uterus to the outside. In some women, there is a narrow ring of soft membrane attached to the vaginal opening all around its edge (thus making the actual hole appear smaller than it really is). This ring of membrane serves no particular purpose, and is called the hymen. On each side of the entrance of the vagina there is a tiny gland called Bartholin's gland. During sexual excitement, these glands pour out a slippery fluid, which runs down the inner walls of the vagina and lubricates them, for the easy and painless reception of the penis. Above the vagina, there is another small opening. This is the opening of the urethra, through which urine (from the urinary bladder) is passed to the outside. In a few women, this opening is also sexually sensitive.

The opening of the vagina is covered with folds of flesh. The two outer folds (one coming from the left and one from the right) are known as the outer (or large) lips. The two inner folds are known as the inner (or small) lips. These lips are smooth and pinkish in colour. They are covered with a special type of membrane and are (particularly the inner lips) sensitive to touch and other types of stimulation. In the apex of the inner lips, there is the clitoris. As without the stimulation of this small organ it is not possible for a woman to reach sexual orgasm, it merits a more detailed study.